Williamsburg – Guy and Mae’s Tavern

by Kansas Pork Farmers on June 14, 2011

The Tavern

A while back I finally had the pleasure to stop at a place I’d heard a lot about over the years. It had almost become an urban legend in my mind. I was glad to see (and taste) that it actually existed, while managing to live up to the hype. The place is none other than Guy and Mae’s Tavern in Williamsburg, KS. It’s known far and wide for serving up delicious pork ribs in a no-frills fashion, and won’t disappoint the seeker of all things BBQ!

Williamsburg is located a mile or so south of I-35, out between BETO Junction and Ottawa (it’s about a 20 minute drive from either Ottawa or BETO Junction). You about have to be going there on purpose, or lost, to find the place, but it is well worth your time if you’re a rib fan! “Guy and Mae’s” is about the only thing going on in Williamsburg anymore, but it continues to pull people in from all over the region, wanting to get a taste of the famous ribs.

The Food

As you can see in the picture, the ribs are certainly served up in the most basic fashion. What the picture doesn’t show is how they look when they are served. It is a mess of foil that you open up, revealing 2 slices of white bread, with a beautiful slab of ribs under them, and a folded up newspaper under the ribs. It just seems like the way ribs were meant to be served!The ribs were excellent. They were very tender and were about as lean as ribs get. The meat came off the bones and pulled apart almost like you’d expect tender pot roast to do. An added bonus is that the ribs at Guy and Mae’s are trimmed to be “St. Louis Style”, meaning that the cartilage and sternum are cut off, making them fast and easy to eat. The dry rub provided all the flavor I needed, and it was a good thing. I was not fond of the house BBQ sauce; the only drawback to the entire experience.

If you’re not in the mood for ribs, you have some other choices, but not many! The menu is basic to say the least. Ribs are the main attraction, but you can get a few other types of smoked meat served in sandwich form. As for sides, you can get a bag of chips, baked beans, potato salad, or cole slaw. Go ahead and get some spicy pickles too, just make sure your drink is handy!